Support for bicycle handle-bars.

^No- 757,154. PATENTED APR. 12, 1904.

R. H. TATE.

SUPPORT FOR BICYCLE HANDLE BARS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 5, 1903. NO MODEL. '

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Να 767,154. Patented April 12,1004.

United States Patent Office.

ROBERT HENRY TATE, OF PORTLAND, OREGON^

SUPPORT FOR BICYCLE HANDLE-BARS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 757,154, dated April 12, 1904. - > Application filed August 5,1903. Serial No. 168,305. (No model.) in which similar, characters of reference indiTo all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Robert Henry Tate, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Portland, in the county of Multnomah and S State of Oregon, have invented a new and Improved Support for Bicycle Handle-Bars, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to a supporting device ^{IO bicycle} handle-bars adapted to retain or admit of all the features of adjustment and attachment now common to such devices and which in addition will provide means whereby the handle-bar may be rotated a quarter15 turn with such facility as to invite its use upon all occasions, where the rider dismounts to leave the wheel or to lead it along a public way and whereby with equal facility the handle-bar may be returned to riding position and 2o automatically and securely locked in either position.

. The main purpose of the invention is to provide a simple, practical, and efficient means of throwing the handle-bar to a line position 25 with the front wheel or parallel with the line of travel of said wheel and automatically locking it in such position and returning the handle-bar at right angles to the line of travel of the front wheel or at right angles to its axle30 support with equal ease, where the handle-bar is again automatically locked in riding position.

A further purpose of the invention is to accomplish the above adjustments with ease and 35 rapidity and to enable the user of the vehicle whenever it is desired to lean the vehicle against a wall, post, tree, or other support when not in use, as the handle-bar being placed in line with the direction of travel of the front 40 wheel entirely overcomes the tendency of the front wheel to run away from the support against which it may have been placed, as frequently happens when the handle-bar is at right angles to the front wheel at such times. 45 _ The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of the several parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed out m the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying 50 drawings, forming a part of this specification, cate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the head-section of a bicycle-frame, illustrating the application of the improvements thereto. Fig. 2 55 is a vertical section through the head shown in Fig. 1 and parts carried thereby. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the handle-bar post and handle-bar clamp and locking device, the latter being shown as holding a clamp locked to 6° hold the handle-bar in running position and the said clamp being shown in dotted lines in' position to carry the handle-bar parallel with the front wheel. Fig. 4 is a plan view of the post for the handle-bar, the adjusting-can 65 thereon, and the handle-bar clamp in two positions, the cap-washer and retaining-bolt for the handle-bar post having been removed. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the lockingspring for the handle-bar clamp. Fig. 6 is a 70 plan view of the adjusting-cap. Fig. 7 is a plan view of the washer for the handle-bar post. Fig. 8 is a plan view of the adjustingcap washer, and Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the spring adapted to automatically restore 7 5 the adjusting-cap to its normal position after it has been adjusted and released.

The bicycle-head, as illustrated, consists of an upper main tube A of the frame and a part of the front-frame tube B, which latter is pro- 80 vided at its upper end with a flange 10, and a washer 11 is located on the said flange.

A tubular handle-bar post C is made to enter the front-fork tube or stem B a desired distance and to extend a suitable distance be- 85 yond the upper end of the front-fork tube or stem. _ The.handle-bar post is preferably held in position in the front-fork tube or stem B by an expanding-nut 12,extending below the lower edge thereof. This nut 12 receives the 90 lower or inner threaded end of a bolt 13, drawing the nut 12 upward into the lower slotted end of the post C, thereby expanding it against the inner surface of the front-fork tube B, thereby holding the post C securely in its po- 95 sition in the fork tube or stem B.

The handle-bar clamp G' consists of a bodysleeve 14, which is mounted to turn loosely around the upper outer end portion of the handle-bar post C, resting at its lower edge 100

757,154 upon a flange 15, formed on the said post, and a clip 16, adapted to hold the handle-bar, is connected in any suitable or approved manner with the body-sleeve 14 or is made integral 5 therewith, and the said clip is provided with a suitable adjusting-screw 17. The normal position of the handle-bar clamp C^z is parallel with the front wheel; but when the vehicle is to be leaned against a support after the rider io has dismounted or the machine is to be led along a public highway the handle-bar clamp is carried to the right or to the left and is at such times at right angles to the front wheel of the vehicle.

i5 A washer 18 is provided for the upper end of the handle-bar post C. This washer extends sufficiently beyond the outer face of the handle-bar post to engage with the upper edge of the sleeve-section 14 of the handle-bar clamp, so and thereby prevent the said sleeve-section from rising. The washer 18 is provided with a lower boss 19, which is fitted to the interior of the handle-bar post, as is shown in Fig. 2, and with a collar 21 centrally located on its 25 upper face, which collar surrounds a central opening 20, through which the upper portion of the bolt 13 passes, and in the said collar 21 a transverse slot 22 is produced, while in one side edge of the said washer 18 a diametrical 30 slot 23 is made extending to the periphery of the collar 21, as is shown in Figs. 2 and 7. _

An adjusting-cap E is located over and is adapted to turn upon the washer 18, being provided with a central opening 24, receiving 35 the collar 21 of the said washer, and with a camslot 25, connecting with the aforesaid central opening 24, as is particularly shown in Fig. 6, · and the said adjusting-cap is’ preferably provided with a milled or roughened outer side 40 surface. The said cap is fitted to the upper and the side edges of the washer 18, as is shown in Fig. 2, and has a downwardly-extending marginal flange 26 in order to protect the upper edge of the sleeve-section 14 of the 45 handle-bar clamp.

A slot 27 (shown best in Fig. 2) is produced in the upper edge of the handle-bar post at the rear, and in the upper edge of the sleevesection 14 of the handle-bar clamp three slots 50 28, 29, and 30 are produced, either one of which is capable of registry with the slot 27 in the handle-bar post. When the handlebar clamp is in its normal position—that is, facing forwardly, as shown by positive lines 55 in Fig. 3—the slot 30 registers with the slot 27 in the handle-bar post; but when the handle-bar is to be turned so as to bring it parallel with the front wheel the handle - bar clamp is carried either to the right or to the 60 left, and either the slot 29 or the slot 28 is then brought into registry with the slot 27 in the said handle-bar post.

In order to bring about a locking engagement with the handle-bar clamp in either of 65 its positions and to render the locking device automatic in its action, the form of locking device illustrated in detail in Fig. 5 has beep preferably adopted, consisting of a lower split sleeve 30% which is in frictional engagement with the inner face of the handle-bar post, as 70 is shown in Fig. 2, and a shank 31, extending upward from the sleeve, likewise within the handle-bar post, together with an angular head 32, comprising an outwardly-extending horizontal member and a vertical member car- 7 5 ried from the outer end of the horizontal member. The horizontal member of the head 32 passes outward through the slot 27 at the upper end of the handle-bar post C, and the vertical member of the said head 32 enters 80 the cam-slot 25 in the adjusting-cap E, as is also shown in Fig. 2. Thus by turning the adjusting-cap E as indicated by the arrow in Fig. 4 the action of the outer wall of the camslot 25 on the vertical member of the head 32 85 of the locking device will carry the said head inward, permitting the handle-bar clamp to be carried from its forward position to a side position or from a side position to a forward position, and when the desired adjusted posi- 90 tion of the handle-bar clamp has been reached and the adjusting- cap E is released ana brought to its normal position the head 32 ot the said locking device for the handle-liar clamp will in passing through the slot 27 in 95 the handle-bar post enter the slot in the sleevesection of the handle-bar clamp^which may be in registry with the said slot 27. .

The adjusting-cap E is returned automatically to its normal position in the following 100 manner: An aperture 34 is produced in the upper surface of the adjusting-cap E, and one end of a coiled spring 33 is made to enter the said aperture 34, the said spring being coiled around the collar 21 of the washer 18, as is 105 shown in Fig. 4, while the other end of the said spring 33 is made to enter the slot 22 in the said collar. The spring is held in position by a cap-plate or washer 35, dished more or less upon its under face, which washer or n° plate has a central opening therein through which the bolt 13 passes, and the head 36 01 the said bolt 13 has sufficient bearing on-the said cap-plate or upper washer 35 to hold it firmly in position. ., ¹¹⁵

It will thus be observed that the handle-bar clamp, can be quickly and readily brought to a forward position, bringing the handle-bar at right angles to the forward wheel or in working position, or that the said handle-bar 120 clamp may be carried-to either side of the machine, bringing the handle-bar parallel with the front wheel, and that the handle-par clamp will be automatically locked in either of the said positions and tan be quickly released from ¹2 5 its adjusted position by turning the adjustingcap E, which when released is restored to its normal position by the actiou of the spring 38.